Initiation device.



E. DE MOULIN.

INITIATION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JANJ), 1909.

Patented June 22, 1909.

2 741220, .M/ZZ? I I r I Q/Vi 1'" on ERASTUS DE MOULIN, OF GREENVILLE,ILLINOIS.

INITIATION DE VICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Application filed January 8, 1909. Serial No. 471,355.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Enasrns DE MoULIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenville, in the county of Bond and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Initiation Device, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to initiation devices and its object is toprovide an altar for use by secret organizations and the like and inwhich is mounted a skeleton, grotesque figure or the like, designed tobe automatically shifted so as to appear above the altar.

Another object is to provide mechanism for discharging a detonatorduring the movement of said figure and for illuminating a portion of thefigure as it reaches the limit of its movement out of the altar.

A further object is to provide means whereby a jet of liquid, powder orthe like may be forced from the figure and in the direction of theinitiate when said figure reaches the limit of its movement.

A further object is to provide means whereby a current of electricitymay be directed through the initiate during the operation of themechanism referred to.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical 1 transverse section throughthe altar and showing the mechanism therein in elevation, the contactplates and the connections between them and the magneto being showndiagrammatically. F 2 is a section taken from front to rear of the upperportion of the altar and showing the interior mechanism in elevation.Fig. 3 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a section on line O-'DFig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates acasing in the form of an altar and having hinged closures 2 at the topthereof and designed to swing upwardly in opposite directions, butwhich, when closed, lie flush with the surrounding portion of the top ofthe casing. Extending vertically within opposite side portions of thecasing 1 are pairs of guide cleats 8 having a carriage E slidablymounted therebetween, there being guide strips 1 mounted between thecleats of each pair and connecting the upper and lower shelves 5 and 6respectively of the carriage. A figure simulating a skeleton may besecured upon the upper shelf 5 as indicated at 7, the eyesockets beingprovided with small incandescent lamps 8, and a nozzle 9 being arrangedbetween the teeth as indicated particularly in Fig. 2. Arranged upon thebottom of the upper shelf 5 is a forked bracket 10 engaging a tube 11extending from a bulb 12, said tube projecting upwardly through thefigure 7 and being connected at its upper end to the nozzle 9. Abulb-compressing lever 13 is pivotally mounted upon a bracket extendingfrom the lower face of the upper shelf 5, and is held normally drawntoward the bracket 10 by means of a spring 14, the ends of which aresecured to said lever and the shelf respectively. One end of this lever13 is arranged in the path of a hammer lever 15 fulcrumed upon a bracket16 extending downwardly from the shelf 5 and having a suitable spring 17for holding said hammer lever normally in contact with a block 18designed to support a blank cartridge or other form of detonator. A bellcrank lever 19 is fulcrumed upon a bracket 20 extending downwardly fromshelf 5 and has a head 21 designed to engage one end of the lever 15 andlock the two levers 15 and 13 out of normal position, there being aspring- 19 for holding the two levers 19 and 15 111 engagement with eachother. One arm of the lever 19 extends beyond one side of the shelf 5and past one of the guide cleats 3, there being a cam 22 upon the upperportion of said cleat whereby the lever 19 will be actuated when thecarriage E rises to a predetermined point. Spring rollers are journaledin the upper portion of the casing 1 at opposite sides "thereof and havetapes 21 normally wound thereon, said tapes being connected to thestrips 4 of the carriage E.

A battery 25 may be mounted on the shelf 6, the same being electricallyconnected to the lamps S, as indicated in Fig. 1. One of the wires ofthe lighting circuit is donnected to contact plates 26 extending beyondthe shelf 5 and designed, when the carriage E reaches the limit of itsupward movement, to come in contact with a bracket 27 constituting acircuit-closer, said bracket being secured to one of the cleats 3.

A hanger 28 extends downwardly from the lower shelf 6 of the carriageand has a head 29 at its lower end, the tip of which is preferablyconical and enlarged, as inclicated at 30, this tip being designed, whenthe carriage is lowered, to move against a locking lever 31 journaledupon a support 31 on the bottom of the casing 1 and having a notch 32for the reception of the hanger, there being a spring 33 for holding thelever normally in engagement with the hanger. Obviously while these twoparts are in engagement it becomes impossible for the carriage to moveupwardly. One end of lever 31 may extend through a slot 3 1 in the casing 1 so as to permit the same to be readily actuated manually.

If desired, and as shown in Fig. 1, a

' magneto generator 35 may be mounted in the lower portion of the casing1, said generator being preferably of the type disclosed in myco-pending application No. 4E51, 118, and having a gear 36 revolubletherewith and carrying a stock pin 37. A lever 38 is mounted to swinginto the path of the pin, the same being held in such position by thelower shelf 6 of the carriage when the said carriage is in its lower orlocked position. A. spring 39 is utilized for shifting the lever 38 outof the path of the pin 37 as soon as the carriage E begins to moveupwardly. This magneto is connected electrically to contact plates 10shown diagramatically in Fig. 1, and said plates are designed to beplaced in front of the altar where the knees of the kneeling initiatecan rest upon them.

I11 using the device herein described the carriage E is pusheddownwardly after a blank cartridge or other form of detonator has beenplaced in the holder 18 and after a charge of powder or water has beenplaced within the nozzle 9 and tube 11. hen the carriage reaches apredetermined point during its downward movement the head 29 of thehanger 28 will automatically engage the lever 31 and be locked againstfurther movement. The closures 2 are then swung into position over thefigure 7, and after the plates 40 have been properly arranged in frontof the casing the device is ready for use. The initiate is placed inkneeling posture in front of the altar with one knee resting on each ofthe plates 40, it being understood of course that the magneto 35 isfirst wound, the lever 38 operating to hold it against movementwhile thecarriage is lowered. At the proper time du'ing the initiation the lever31 is pressed laterally so as to release the hanger 28. The springswithin the rollers 23 will promptly operate to wind the tapes 24 on therollers and the carriage E will therefore be elevated, forcing the headof the figure 7 against. the doors or closures 2 so as to open them, andsaid figure will therefore quickly assume a position directly on top ofcasing 1. During the beginning of the upward movement of the carriagethe lever 38 is released and spring draws it out of the path of pin 37.The magneto is thus free to operate and will direct a current ofelectricity through the plates 40 and into the initiate. This currentwill continue until the magneto has run down. When the figure 7 reachesthe limit of its upward movement the contact plates 26 come intoposition upon the lower face of the bracket or circuit-closer 27 and acircuit is thus established from the battery 25 to the lamps 8, whichare therefore illuminated. During the upward movement of the carriagethe bell crank lever 19 rides along the adjoining cleats 3 until justbefore the carriage reaches the limit of its upward movement, whereuponsaid lever rides upon the cam 22 and is shifted laterally so as torelease the hammer lever 15. The lever 15 will be shifted by the spring17 against the holder 18 and therefore explode the detonator containedwithin the holder, and, at the same time, the compressing lever will bereleased, and its spring 14 will draw it against the bulb 12 so as tocompress it and direct the contents of tube 11 and nozale 9 in thedirection of the initiate.

It is of course to be understood that if preferred the magneto 35 may beomitted. It preferred, a dry battery and an induction coil may be usedin lieu of the generator heretofore referred to. Also, if desired,various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a figure formovement therein and normally concealed thereby, means for securing thefigure against movement, means for moving the figure from the casingwhen unlocked, and means for illuminating a por tion of the figure uponreaching a predetermined position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a figurenormally concealed therein, means for locking said figure in concealedposition, means for automatically moving the figure beyond the casingwhen unlocked, a detonator-holder, and means controlled by the movementof the figure for exploding a detonator within the holder.

3. In a device of the class described a casing, a figure normallyconcealed therein, means for locking the figure against movement, meansfor automatically moving said figure beyond the casing when unlocked,and means controlled by the movement of the said figure for projecting ajet of liquid or powder from the figure after leaving the casing.

1. In a device of the class described a casing, a figure normallyconcealed therein,

means for locking the figure against movement, means for automaticallymoving the figure beyond the casing when unlocked, a motor-actuatedgenerator Within the casing, contacts outside the casing andelectrically connected to the generator, means controlled by the figurefor locking the generator against operation while the figure isconcealed within the casing, and means for automatically releasing thegenerator during the movement of the figure from the casing.

In a device of the class described a casing, a carriage movably mountedtherein, a figure mounted upon and movable with the carriage, meansWithin the casing for looking the carriage against movement, means forautomatically moving the carriage When unlocked, detonator-explodingmechanism upon the carriage, and means within the casing and in the pathof said mechanism for actuating the mechanism upon the arrival of thecarriage at a predetermined point Within the casing.

6. In a device of the class described a casing, a carriage movablymounted therein, means forlocking the carriage against movement, meansfor automatically moving the carriage when unlocked, mechanism upon thecarriage for startling an initiate, and means Within the casing and inthe path of said mechanism for releasing the mechanism upon the arrivalof the carriage at a predetermined point within the casing.

7. In a device of the class described a casing, a carriage movablymounted therein, means for locking the carriage against movement, meansfor automatically moving the carriage when unlocked, electric lightingapparatus movable with the carriage and including an incandescent lamp,the circuit through said apparatus being normally broken, and means forclosing the circuit upon the arrival of the carriage at a predeterminedpoint Within the casing.

8. In a device of the class described a casing, a figure normallyconcealed therein, means for locking the figure against movement, meansfor automatically moving the figure beyond the casing when unlocked, agenerator Within the casing, contacts outside the casing andelectrically connected to the generator, means controlled by the figurefor preventing the transmission of a current of electricity from thegenerator to the contacts While the figure is concealed within the casing, and means actuated during the move ment of the figure from thecasing for permitting the passage of a current of elec tricity from thegenerator to the contacts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ERASTUS DE MOULIN.

WVitnesses CLARENCE I'I. DAVIS, NEWTON V. F INK.

